


ba sing se’s finest

by orphan_account



Series: two stoners and a ferret [1]
Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, M/M, Recreational Drug Use
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-26
Updated: 2020-07-26
Packaged: 2021-03-05 21:34:24
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,911
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25532167
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: Zuko was apprehensive as he looked at the sign. “Electric Lettuce?” He looked over at Mai with an eyebrow raised.She shrugged. “It’s a weed store, what do you expect?”—or: the weed store au no one asked for
Relationships: Sokka/Zuko (Avatar)
Series: two stoners and a ferret [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1851592
Comments: 15
Kudos: 290





	ba sing se’s finest

**Author's Note:**

> all characters are adults!

Zuko was apprehensive as he looked at the sign. “Electric Lettuce?” He looked over at Mai with an eyebrow raised. 

She shrugged. “It’s a weed store, what do you expect?”

This wasn’t Zuko’s first dispensary by any means. Ever since he’d moved to Ba Sing Se, the first city to legalize weed, he’d been an active visitor to the many located throughout the city. Not that he was a weed expert by any stretch of the imagination. He went in, picked the best smelling weed, bought it, packed a bowl, and tried to escape the memories of his childhood. 

But Mai had been raving about this store for weeks now. It had just opened in the lower ring, and she had been impressed by both the selection and the knowledge of the employees. 

Zuko didn’t care about their knowledge all that much. He barely understood what THC was. But Mai had mentioned a citrus smelling strand, and Zuko decided that maybe a visit wouldn’t be that bad. 

They entered the store, and after showing their IDs to the girl in the front, they went back to where the actual purchasing took place. Zuko had only made it five steps into the room when his breath stopped. 

Behind the counter was probably the most beautiful man Zuko had ever seen. He had smooth, dark skin, and his hair was pulled back, the sides shaved. And his eyes were, by Zuko’s own estimation, the bluest shade humanly possible. 

Mai snorted next to him. 

The worker was smirking, and his eyes moved over Zuko, unsubtly checking him out. “Welcome to Electric Lettuce, my name is Sokka. What can I get you today?”

Mai had moved up to the counter again, and ran through her questions about this and that. Zuko could never follow. She studied weed as a pastime, though if you asked her, she studied weed and all the aspects that came with it in order to expand her knowledge in her field of law. Mai actively worked to free people from prison who were in there for nonviolent drug charges, and have their records expunged. 

Zuko didn’t really know how knowing the different strands helped with that, but Mai’s job was important and impactful, so he didn’t question it. 

Zuko also realized he was still staring at Sokka. 

The man was in his element, pulling down different canisters and proudly showing off the nuggets inside. Sokka seemed to be able to field any question Mai threw at him, and seemed to answer these questions with joy. Zuko allowed himself to imagine them sitting in his living room, and Sokka explaining the finer details of the strand they were about to smoke, and Zuko’s hands would slowly move to cup Sokka’s face. as their faces would move slowly towards each other, and—

“And what about your friend?”

Zuko blinked a couple of times, and realized both Mai and Sokka were staring at him. “Uh.”

The other man smiled, and Mai rolled her eyes, though there was a spark of… something behind them. Something Zuko felt he should be scared of. 

“He’s interested in the citrus strand. Do you have mimosa or orange julius?” Mai answered for Zuko, but with a firm finger, she beckoned him over. He obediently approached. 

Sokka nodded, and turned to grab the aforementioned canisters. “Do you smoke much?” he asked. 

Zuko realized he was being addressed. “Uh, yes? But I’m not as, uh, knowledgeable? I just like stuff that smells good.” 

Sokka was still pursuing the shelves, but he paused to throw a fond look over his shoulder. “I can respect that.”

As embarrassing as it was to admit this, that simple sentence made Zuko blush. Mai snorted. Again. 

He shot a glare at her, but she had a small smile on her face, and that spark was still in her eye. Zuko’s blush deepened. 

At least Ty Lee wasn’t here. She’d already have a date set up for the two of them, and they’d both be too intimidated by her personality to say no. 

Actually, Zuko thought, it might be nice to have Ty Lee as a wingwoman. He might need to ponder this at a later date. 

Sokka had returned to the counter with a few canisters in hand. “Okay, so we have the mimosa and orange julius, but I also have a dreamsicle and lemonade one, just in case you’d like to see those as well.”

Zuko nodded in agreement, and leaned in to sniff. All of them smelled phenomenal, but he only had the cash for one eighth, so he narrowed it down to just the mimosa scent. 

As Mai and Zuko paid for their respective orders, there was a comfortable silence that filled the shop. As they grabbed their bags and began to head out, Sokka smiled again and said, “Hope to see you soon!” 

His eyes were trained on Zuko as he said it. 

—

Zuko did, in fact, go back. He’d almost asked Ty Lee to come, since he knew Mai was in meetings all day, but after a quick pep talk with himself in front of the mirror this morning, he’d decided to not be a coward, and to go see the cute dispensary worker on his own. 

It’d been a week since his last visit, and after his Uncle Iroh had also indulged in a bit of his last purchase, he had some extra funds on hand this time. The entire week, Zuko hadn’t been able to stop thinking about Sokka. He’d only met this man once and barely said fifteen words to him, and now here he was, convinced he was in love. 

He was almost nervous as he stepped into the back shop that Sokka wouldn’t even be working today, but his fears were allayed when he saw the man’s blue eyes and wide smile. 

“Well look who it is; welcome back!” Sokka said. Zuko, who was nothing if not consistent, blushed. But he approached the counter, and hoped to Agni his gait seemed at least somewhat confident. 

He could almost hear Mai’s snort. 

“What can I get for you today?” Sokka asked. “More mimosa?”

“Um, yes. Please. An eighth of that. And also, my, uh, uncle was wondering if you have any that are, and I’m quoting him on this, ‘good for an old man to wind down and enjoy some tea’?”

Sokka laughed. “Well, there’s this new strand of granddaddy purple that just came in. He might like that.” He turned to the shelves to collect the canisters. 

Zuko had no idea what granddaddy purple was, but if anything, Iroh would like the name. 

Sokka returned to the counter, talking about the new strand. Zuko couldn’t follow what he said, but the man’s voice was so soothing, and the passion was so evident in his tone, that Zuko found himself hanging on to every word. He also promised himself to look up what a terpene was when he got home. 

“Can I have your number?” Sokka asks, completely out of the blue. 

Zuko chokes on air. “What?”

A smirk formed on Sokka’s face. “For our rewards program.”

At this point, Zuko decided that Sokka must just think his entire face is just permanently red. “Uh, right. Yes. Definitely. Gotta get those points. Ha.” He rubbed the back of his neck. 

Sokka looked like he was on the verge of breaking out into a very unprofessional fit of laughter. “Uh huh. Those points are important, buddy.”

“Yep.”

There was a moment of silence. “So, the number?”

“Oh shit, right.” Zuko gave his number, and paid for the weed as quickly as possible. This is why I don’t go and interact with attractive men alone.

“And your name?” Sokka asked. 

“Zuko.”

Sokka typed it into the system. “That’s a cool name. Zuko. I like it.”

Zuko looked down. He could not take anymore praise. He literally might burst. “Thanks,” he mumbled. 

After Zuko grabbed his bags and made his way to the door, he paused, and looked back at Sokka. Sokka was looking at him, an eyebrow raised. 

“I’ll, um, be back soon. I hope,” Zuko said. 

“I’m looking forward to it.”

—

He’d been working at the Jasmine Dragon for years now, though he’d only been working full-time since finishing university a couple of years before. His uncle’s tea shop was perhaps one of the more well known in town, and being the manager brought in a decent enough salary. At the very least, Zuko could afford a studio apartment in the lower ring and his weed habit. 

As manager, he didn’t technically have to work the register. But it was a busy day, and Zuko didn’t like to just sit in the back while the rest of the college-aged employees floundered. So while Jin worked her way down the line, writing orders and passing them off to the workers making the tea, Zuko rang everyone up. 

After accepting the payment and moving a customer along, he looked at the next ticket, already punching it into the POS system. “Chai, extra spicy?” he asked, not even looking up from the screen. 

“Ye- holy shit,” a very familiar voice said. Zuko’s head popped up, only to meet the blue eyes that have blessed his dreams. 

“Sokka?!”

Sokka looked ecstatic. “Oh good, you remember my name! I didn’t know you worked here, Zuko. I get tea here all the time.” Sokka paused, thinking. “Though I guess Suki usually just picks it up.”

Zuko cocked his head a bit. “Suki?” His voice sounded calm, but his brain was in full panic mode. Please don’t have a girlfriend, please don’t have a girlfriend, please don’t have a-

“Yeah, one of my good friends. She works at the gym down the street, but stops by to give me tea.”

Oh thank Agni. “Sounds like a good friend.”

Sokka beamed. “She is.” The two stared at each other, before Jin pointedly cleared her throat from a couple feet away. 

Zuko jumped. “Right. Tea. It’ll be, uh, $4.50 please.”

While Sokka took his card out and inserted it, Zuko tried to manifest confidence. This was his element, his store, and if he wanted to ask the cute customer who happens to work at the dispensary and take up space in Zuko’s dreams what his number was, the damnit he would. 

He took a deep breath, and then: “Can I have your number?”

Sokka looked up from the pin pad. “What, for the rewards program?” There was a teasing tilt to his tone. 

Zuko laughed. “No, though we should probably start one. Points are important.”

“Very,” Sokka agreed. 

They both smiled at each other.

“I was thinking more so I could ask you on a date. Only if you’d want to, though,” Zuko added. 

“Oh, I’d love to. Here, give me the receipt.” Zuko handed it over, and Sokka hurriedly wrote his number on it. “I expect to hear from you by the end of the day.”

Zuko chuckled. “Understood. I won’t disappoint you.”

Sokka handed him back the receipt and winked. “Talk to you later, Zuko.” He didn’t give Zuko time to respond, quickly moving deeper into the shop. 

Zuko watched after him, before sighing and turning to the next customer. “Sorry about all that.”

An older woman was standing in front of him. “Oh dear, that was no issue at all. You two are just too adorable.”

The blush once again blessed Zuko’s face.

**Author's Note:**

> the electric lettuce is a real weed store in the city i live in lol. lemme know how y’all liked it!
> 
> also i wrote this while also smoking a joint (mimosa scented lol), and it smells as good as you think


End file.
